Managing Exam Stress Parents can find exams just as stressful as - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Managing Exam Stress Parents can find exams just as stressful as their child! Steve Rippin, Assistant Headteacher, Tapton School Dr Zoe Brownlie, Clinical Psychologist, CAMHS

Student survey - issues impacting on their EHWB

Results of EHWB survey The top 6 issues students stated as having a significant impact on their mental health: Academic/exam pressure Sleep difficulties Anxiety Low mood Friendship issues Family stress Common comments/requests by students: • People to ask ‘how are things?’ • Greater signposting • More support in school

Support networks: • PSHE curriculum. • Staff support – Form Tutor, Year Manager, Staff Healthy Minds Champions, SEN, MHWB & Resilience Support Worker. • Supporting your child with exams (managing exam stress) – parents information evening with CAMHS support. • Signposting information (web site – supporting learning). • Useful links – local services and support groups – Sheffield MH guide. • Mental health and wellbeing parent support group.

Healthy Mind Champions

Working together as a team Students are responsible for maintaining good attendance and actively engaging in lessons and their learning. Also seeking help and guidance when needed. School will deliver the curriculum and Parents are there to reassure their stretch and challenge students in their child but also challenge them when learning so they are well prepared for they are overconfident and give exams as well offering guidance and them a gentle nudge in the right support. direction when needed.

Ever had that feeling? (exam stress) 7

Helping children to access their thinking brain The reptilian brain is good for survival but lousy for exam success! 8

Is anxiety and worry helpful? As with everything in life… A little bit of stress is good for you! 9

When we’re overwhelmed with stress or worry, our thought processes can:- • Be defensive • Can only think about oneself • Can only think about the here and now • Be critical and judgemental • Remember disasters and predict catastrophe • Make us lose focus • Make our brains feel like a jumble

Why does your brain offer such suggestions at such an unhelpful time? Because the older part of our brain is trying to keep you safe. It relies on: • Overestimation of danger – it’s going to be a catastrophe! • Fast generalisation - worst scenarios! • Reading others minds – everyone thinks… What we actually need is the logical rational part of our brains to function so we can think rationally and decide what to do.

Parents role Be there to offer reassurance and tackle self deception

Adolescent Brain: What’s happening? Remodelling: Puberty encourages the brain to undergo a large structural change.

Brain developments during adolescence (12 – 20 yrs.) • Emotional Spark • Social engagement • Novelty Seeking • Creative exploration The take home message: ‘ It is vital to keep the lines of connection and communication open ‘ Young people need a reliable relationship in their lives Daniel J Siegel (2014) Brain Storm

• Impulsivity – difficulty in regulating their emotion. Emotional Spark • Opportunity: Filled with passion and desire. • Difficulty in understanding the emotional intent of others • Risk: Get upset quicker, feeling irritable, find it difficult • Lack of awareness of own emotion, where it’s coming from to trust their own emotional state • Urgency to fit into a group , association with other peers similar to Social Engagement • Opportunity: Learn social skills that can last a life time, themselves and creating safety in numbers . • Decrease in communication with parents/ teachers and a greater develop friendships that can teach you how to be connected to other people, desire to build external relationships • Risk: Feeling pressured by peers to match what they • Succumbing to peer pressure , greater importance of what peers have/ their items. think of them. • Sense of boredom , lack of engagement in activities perceived as Novelty Seeking • Opportunity: Get you ready to try on the uncertainty, being mundane. • A desire to explore and experience new things unfamiliar and uncomfortable and unsafe to prepare • Lack of emphasis on the consequences of their actions, despite you to live independently • Risk: Risk and danger, being injured. knowing the dangers . • May openly challenge those in authority (Parents/Teachers) when Creative Exploration • Opportunity: Excitement of changing the world, they feel they are doing something they do not agree with. • Pushing boundaries to see how far they can go, what the set adolescents display ingenuity, courage and creativity. limitations are in that individual/ particular environment. • Risk: Feeling disorientated due to changes in • Shift in the perspective of others (e.g. parents aren’t who they perspectives. thought ).

Emotional Regulation – how we adjust our internal state to cope with the external demands Dys-regulation Feeling overwhelmed and acting this out Emotional self Emotional self regula gulation = tion = Being a Being able to ble to be rationale be r tionale and access our and access our thinking br thinking brains ains Dys-regulation Feeling overwhelmed and closing down Processing of emotional self regulation over time

‘Thinking brain’ • Calm • Abstract and creative in your thinking • Can think about the world, other people and their needs • Can think about the future and past ‘Alarm System’ • Anger, anxiety, fear • Reactive • Can only think about yourself • Can only think about the here and now Autonomic system • Terror • Automatic • Body Integrity – concern is for keeping your body safe • Physical self – hunger, thirst, sleep, noise, heat • Loss of sense of time

STOPP • STOP Just pause for a moment • TAKE A BREATH • Pay attention to your breathing as you breathe in and out • OBSERVE • What are you reacting to? • What sensations do you notice in your body? • PULL BACK – PUT IN SOME PERSPECTIVE • What’s the bigger picture? What’s going on? • PRACTICE WHAT WORKS • What’s the best thing to do right now?

Breathing Techniques When we are experiencing intense emotions, our breathing often becomes more rapid or we hold our breath. We can calm ourselves down by deliberately slowing and relaxing our breathing Almost immediately, blood pressure drops, your expression softens, and tension drains from your body. • Breathe in slowly and steadily through your nose for a count of 4 • Pause for a count of 1 • Breathe out through your mouth for a count of 4 (slowly and steadily) • Repeat this exercise for as long as you need. If your mind wanders whilst you do this exercise, bring your attention back to how it feels to breathe in and out.

Top tips for parents • Take your time to work out the best approach • Support your child to adopt a calm, rational constructive approach • Agree a reasonable plan for revision • Give choices • If your child is feeling overwhelmed help them to choose one ‘do - able’ activity for the day • Feeling confident about the can do’s and taking small steps • Acknowledge, acknowledge, acknowledge – let your child off load, process their feelings, feel heard and understood – You don’t need to rush in with advice or reassurance • Think about your own stress levels and emotional regulation – notice if you or your child’s alarm system has been triggered • Notice the tone of your voice when your are communicating and what you are communicating non verbally • Start each day afresh • Have fun • Use ‘I’ not ‘you’ • Use ‘and’ not ‘but’

Useful resources • Relaxation exercises from Sheffield CAMHS website for the mental health young people foundation www.epicfriends.co.uk • https://soundcloud.com/m entalhealthfoundation/set s/wellbeing-podcasts • https://soundcloud.com/m entalhealthfoundation/stre ss-and-relaxation- full?in=mentalhealthfound ation/sets/wellbeing- podcasts

1. The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare Juma Ikangaa Encourage them to be organised, prioritise learning and follow a realistic revision programme. Don’t leave things until the last minute.

2. Make learning part of the culture at home Be interested in what your child is learning – conversations about the subject helps them to embed their learning - just listening attentively helps them to process what they have revised Pin up there revision and exam timetable on the noticeboard in the kitchen and work around it.

3. Support and encourage a work/life balance Having something to look forward to is a great motivator. Promote getting out of the house for some exercise, a walk or to meet a friend. It will help to clear their mind so they don’t feel trapped in a cycle of revision.

4. Good nights sleep Sleep helps to embed learning 1. Avoid caffeine. 2. No electronic screens 45 minutes before sleep. 3. Sleep-inducing environment (dark, quiet, cool). 4. Soothing, relaxing pre-sleep routine. 5. Go to sleep when you are tired. 6. Don’t check the clock. 7. Open the curtains in the morning. 8. Regular, consistent pattern (7 hours). 9. Avoid naps after 5pm. 10. Exercise earlier in the day.